It's day 16 of your 30 Day English Vocabulary Challenge to start 2021 right. We're learning 105
words from the academic word list, words that will help you have sophisticated English conversations,
words you need to know if you're preparing for the IELTS or TOEFL exams. I've been watching the
posts you've been making about this challenge, it's incredible, inspiring. Make up a sentence
to a word you learned, and post it on social. Don't forget to like and subscribe, and don't
forget to download the study guide that goes with this 30-day challenge. You can do that by clicking
here or the link in the video description. Learn the words, ace the quizzes, you've got this!
Our first word today is SIMILAR.
Similar. A three syllable word with first syllable stress. Sim— ih-- lar. Similar. It's an adjective,
meaning almost the same as someone or something else. Our cats are similar in color.
Pretty straightforward. But let's go to Youglish for five real life examples after you watch up
close and in slow motion.
Here's our first example.
So it's really interesting to see how similar these are.
How similar they are. How close to the same they are.
So it's really interesting to see how similar these are.
Here's another example. But you might end up being drawn to each other
or do you become more similar as you are together? Are you drawn to someone because you're similar,
you're almost the same, or do you become more similar because you're together?
But you might end up being drawn to each other or do you become more similar as you are together?
Here's another example. So I think we share a little bit of similar DNA.
Similar DNA. DNA that's close to being the same. So I think we share a little bit of similar DNA.
Another example. Remarkably, all over the world,
cultures have really similar stories, similar mythologies about butterflies.
Around the world, the stories of butterflies from different cultures are close to the same.
Remarkably, all over the world, cultures have really similar stories,
similar mythologies about butterflies. Our last example.
But working along similar lines. Along similar lines. This is an idiom that means
almost the same, comparable. Your vacation sounds great, I’m interested in one along
similar lines for my family trip this summer. In other words, I’d like to do a vacation like
the one you did with your family. But working along similar lines.
Our next word is VARIABLE. Variable. In the first syllable, the stressed syllable, we have the
EH as in bed followed by schwa R. So those sounds will change the EH vowel, it's not pure.
Veh-- variable. It's not veh-- but veh-- eh-- vare, vare--
a little bit more closed down. Variable. Variable. It's an adjective, it means able or
likely to change. It has a variable climate. As a noun, it means something that changes or
that can be changed. Unemployment is an economic variable. Let's watch up close and in slow motion.
And now we'll go to Youglish for five examples. I think that's the critical variable.
The critical variable. The thing that changes that matters the most in this situation.
I think that's the critical variable. Here's another example.
It is your physical activity which is the most variable
between people and the hardest to measure. The most variable, the most likely to change
or be different. When looking at people, this is a lot harder to measure than something like
age, education, income level, and so on. It is your physical activity which is the
most variable between people and the hardest to measure.
Here's another example. While, you know, primary
education is now free in the US, it's a tremendously variable quality right.
Tremendously variable quality. The quality can be very different, very changed from one situation to
another. In one school, the educational quality might be top notch, while in another school,
in the same city, the quality is poor. While, you know, primary education is now free
in the US, it's a tremendously variable quality right.
Another example. What's variable is when and how
long a student actually has to work on something. What's variable, what changes, is when a student
works on something and for how long in this situation.
What's variable is when and how long a student actually has to work on something.
Our last example. Think about, okay, fixed versus variable.
Fixed versus variable. Comparing two opposites here. Something that's fixed
doesn't change, something that's variable is able and likely to change.
Think about, okay, fixed versus variable. Our last word today is SECTION.
A two syllable word with first syllable stress. This one does have the pure
EH vowel in the first syllable. Eh—section. It's a noun, one of the parts that forms something.
The section of this road is closed. But it can also be a verb, to divide something into parts.
Section the chicken and marinate the parts. Let's see this up close and in slow motion.
And now we'll go to Youglish for five examples. And there's a pretty big section of that
pie chart, about 40 percent. A pretty big section of that
pie chart. A big part. A pie chart is a way of showing amounts of things, comparing percentages,
how big a part is a section compared to the other parts, and compared to the whole.
And there's a pretty big section of that pie chart, about 40 percent.
Here's another example. I've also found in Italy, there's a lot of,
you know, expensive fancy grocery stores that have a deli section.
A deli section. That is the part of the store with a deli counter,
where you can buy prepared foods or slices of meat and cheese for sandwiches,
for example, this would be different than say the frozen foods section.
I've also found in Italy, there's a lot of, you know, expensive fancy
grocery stores that have a deli section. Another example.
Last section I’ll move to um, the, the questions. The last section, the last part of this talk.
His talk was divided into sections or categories, what he was talking about,
different topics. After the last section, he'll be done and he'll take questions.
Last section I’ll move to um, the, the questions. Another example.
Totally changing the health section of the magazine.
The health section. The part of the magazine that covers issues related to health. Newspapers
also have sections. When we get our paper every Sunday, David and I divide out the
sections. We each take a few to read and then we trade them when we're done. Business Sunday,
the book review, and so on. Totally changing the health section
of the magazine. Our last example.
The way that I’m going to section this hair is I’m going to take my comb.
Section this hair. There, it's the verb. Divide the hair into different parts.
The way that I’m going to section this hair is I’m going to take my comb.
Seeing their real-life examples can really help you understand how to use these words, can't it?
I have a challenge for you now. Make up a sentence with one of these words,
make a short video of your sentence,
and post it to social media, tag me, and use the hashtag #rachelsenglish30daychallenge
Don't be shy, you can do this. Our next video comes out tomorrow at 10AM
Philadelphia time, come back to learn four more vocabulary words. In the meantime,
keep your studies going with this video, and check out my online courses at Rachel's English Academy,
You'll become a more confident English speaker. And please do remember to subscribe.
I love being your English teacher. That's it and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.